Chapter 1, The Falling Embroidered Ball

The outside environment is noisy, the body is sore, and the eyes cannot be opened—could it be that an accident occurred while he was asleep

She covered her face and murmured, "It's over, I slipped..."

Chaotic footsteps echoed around him as those people were snatching the evidence from his arms

This time, Downing did not look at the little beggar, whose bun was already brought to his mouth, yet he did not take a bite

If he still cannot wake up tomorrow, we cannot stay in this alley, lest we be caught by the authorities and become someone else's scapegoat

He reached into his pocket, preparing to take out his phone

He struggled to open his eyes and said in a hoarse voice: "Nurse, I..."

A group of scoundrels, having reached such a state themselves, still seek to seize the murder weapon and destroy evidence—are they even human!

He does not even know who he is or where he lives. As a time traveler in such a state, in addition to being unable to accept the reality of his situation, he also feels a sense of sadness

Tang Ning still could not control his body, his eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, but he was already able to move his fingers and lick his dry lips

A small figure walked in from the alley, a little beggar, dressed in tattered clothes patched all over, yet unlike other beggars, he was not filthy. Beneath his messy hair, a pair of clear and spirited eyes shone.

The little beggar took out a paper bag from his pocket, opened it, and inside was a cold bun

The other party is holding a lotus leaf, folded to form a container, which contains water. This was likely used to feed him just now

On top of a two-story building by the street, a beautiful woman stood watching as a young man collapsed on the street, momentarily stunned.

The person's fingers twitched, seemingly indicating thirst, and within a short period, they licked their lips several times

... ...

The little beggar walked to the deepest part of the alley, glanced at the figure lying on the ground, paused for a moment, circled around him, and squatted down in the corner beside him.

He no longer dares to curse the heavens, for he fears that next time what falls from the sky will not be a stone, but a knife

The little beggar looked at him, a hesitant expression appearing on his dirty little face. After thinking for a long while, he divided the bun in half and handed one half over.

Tang Ning did not hesitate, stuffing half of the bun into his mouth and swallowing it whole

He wandered aimlessly down the street, lacking a system and a golden finger, but at the very least, he should know who he is, where his home is, what this place is, and whether he can still have steamed buns with cabbage filling for his next meal

The little beggar brought the bun to his mouth

At the innermost part of the alley, a person is lying across.

There are no pockets, and even less a mobile phone

Starving in her belly and utterly frustrated in her heart, Tang Ning could not help but raise her middle finger and angrily curse: "Damn it, does it really have to be this way..."

He graduated with a master's degree at the age of twenty-three, but this body now appears to be at most sixteen or seventeen years old, both in appearance and physique, which is vastly different from before

Several gentlemen, please do not stand outside, come in and have some fun

In a secluded and shabby alley within the city, several beggars leaned listlessly against the wall

He has been interested in traditional Chinese culture since childhood. During his master's studies, in addition to his major, he also obtained a master's degree in Chinese language and literature. In his spare time, he reads novels, both traditional and online, and he is very familiar with this situation.

Take a look and see!

What Tang Ning first needed to clarify was not where he was, nor how he had come to be there, but how he could fill his stomach

This was the last scene he could see

There lay a young man, pale in complexion, dressed in plain robes, motionless for several hours.

A look of disbelief appeared on his face as he reached out to touch it, somewhat dazed, glancing around left and right, and walked towards a puddle of water not far away after the rain

Above the attic, someone began to come down in a hurry

Cabbage filling

Above the water's surface, a face that is extremely unfamiliar is reflected.

Those individuals were a bit too harsh, but this scholar's physique is also too frail, unable to withstand blows. He has been lying down for several hours, and it is uncertain whether he can pull through

Tsk tsk, I wonder who it is that has acted so ruthlessly

He looked bewildered, extended his hands, lowered his head to take a look, and still could not accept this reality.

The bun is large, and the filling is abundant. After consuming one bun, he finally regained some strength

He merely took a nap on the bus

Gu, gu gu..." Tang Ning stared at the bun

He lowered his head and finally realized that something was amiss

Bang

Tang Ning looked outside the alley, making an effort to remember that figure in his heart. After a long while, he picked up the half cabbage-filled bun and stuffed it into his mouth, swallowing it down in large bites

Tang Ning stood at the entrance of the alley; just two more steps forward, and he would reach the bustling street.

In contrast, the fellow named Li Yi, during his journey through time, possessed a library in his mind, leveraging a vast amount of modern knowledge to establish himself as a king in a foreign world, ultimately leading a shameless life with a group of wives and concubines

He began to exert effort to control his body, straining to open his eyes.

The little beggar, seeing that he had awakened, quietly retreated to the corner of the wall and no longer looked at him

Cannot accept his body, his appearance, the world he inhabits

Let him see a car, an air conditioner, or even a tricycle would be fine

Goo, goo...'' Tang Ning was still staring at that bun

Tang Ning was pleasantly surprised to discover that he could control his own body

On the bustling street, shops are lined up in succession, with stalls filling both sides of the road. The sounds of vendors calling out rise and fall, as people come and go, creating a lively atmosphere

Steamed buns, freshly out of the oven

If this is not a dream, then he might possibly have traveled through time

A sharp sound rang out, and Tang Ning opened his eyes to see several individuals dressed in the attire of officials from a historical drama approaching quickly.

The little beggar placed the half bun on the lotus leaf, stood up, and walked out of the alley

He has nothing

The little beggar brought the remaining half of the bun to his mouth, and once again, a sound echoed in his ears: "Goo, goo goo..."

The beggars occasionally glance into the alley, engaging in casual conversation

He also wants to give that little beggar a bun, no, ten, one hundred!

Suddenly, a faint sound of footsteps was heard nearby, as if someone was approaching. The person stopped beside him, and before long, a cool liquid slid down his throat

He is so hungry that he doesn't even have the strength to stand up

A mass of shadow rapidly enlarged before his eyes

This is not a hospital, and he is certainly not lying on a sickbed; he is lying in an alley, not far from a few ragged beggars who are leaning against the wall, looking at him with strange expressions.

Tang Ning lay on the ground, his mind buzzing, as something moist trickled down his forehead

Leaving the school and hurrying back to the orphanage where he grew up, he finally could not withstand his fatigue and fell asleep on the bus

Coo, coo... ...

Waking up from a deep sleep, it is now.

Just yesterday, he had just finished reading a historical time-travel novel titled "The Carefree Young Scholar," in which the protagonist travels through time after taking a nap in a library, a situation somewhat similar to his own

Fists began to rain down upon him, followed by feet

This is not a weapon, this is evidence, it is a bun, one hundred of them

His voice came to an abrupt halt, for what he saw was not a white-clad angel in a nurse's uniform, but a dirty little face, approximately eleven or twelve years old, indiscernible in gender, with disheveled hair, yet possessing a pair of bright, expressive eyes.

His clothes, his shoes, his -- his hands

Having money, he wants to buy buns, buying ten of them

He is holding a large red spherical object in his arms, which is solid

The cacophony of sounds, the source of which was unknown, relentlessly assaulted Downing's eardrums, rendering the content indistinguishable and causing great distress. He wished to block his ears, yet found himself unable to do so

His consciousness is extraordinarily clear, yet he is unable to control his own body, not even to move a finger or to open his eyes

He has also read some other types of time-travel novels. In those stories, when others travel through time, they possess rings, systems, and libraries, and under the guidance of the old man with a white beard, they embark on a path to become unparalleled powerhouses against all odds

He held tightly to the object in his arms, this is the weapon, this is the evidence

Two hours ago, he had just completed the defense of two graduation theses and successfully obtained a dual master's degree from a university in Northwest China. Prior to this, he had not closed his eyes for two days and two nights in order to revise his papers

There is nothing, absolutely nothing; not to mention a tricycle, there isn't even a bicycle.

... ...

On the street, amidst the crowd, a young man shouted at the figure lying on the ground: "Quick, quickly get the embroidered ball back for me!"

The subtle pain emanating from various parts of his body made him more alert, and some memories began to surface clearly in his mind

If it were not for his body, he might still have a glimmer of hope, but looking at these noticeably smaller hands, the mark on his left hand from a careless scratch a few days ago has also vanished without a trace

He was bullied like this often in the orphanage during his childhood, yet he still clung tightly to that weapon

People came and went around him, all dressed in ancient attire. He stepped out and walked around the street, not discovering any cameras or similar devices, nor any trace of modern technology.

Tang Ning could only think of this one possibility. He felt a mix of relief and fear; relieved that he was still conscious, at least his life was preserved, and fearful of becoming a vegetative state. After the old director left, he would have no relatives in this world. He wondered how the hospital would treat a vegetative patient who had no way to contact any family or friends.

If Tang Ning's lips are like parched land, then this hint of coolness is the long-awaited sweet rain

After a while, the other half of the bun was handed over, but Tang Ning did not accept it

... ...

Having been injured and bleeding, surely some compensation should be provided

The little beggar suddenly stood up and walked out of the alley

Tang Ning curled up, holding that object tightly in her arms, gritting her teeth, refusing to let go even in death

Stop, please stop

The midday sun is too harsh; sitting outside to beg would scorch one's backside. It is only after another hour has passed, when the weather cools down a bit, that they will venture out to seek alms

Listening to the discussions of those beggars, the young beggar's gaze turned towards the young man lying on the ground